OW: Important Things
by retirw
Summary: It all starts with a peach


The Important Things

Vin Tanner stood comfortably slouched as he was subjected to the hard glare. From the wagon seat Netty Wells studied the worn clothes, scruffy not quite beard and down at the heel boots. The blue eyes raised to met the rapidly gentling gray.

"Where your manners boy. Help me down from this wagon." she ordered. Gently as if handling china Vin lifted the old woman and carefully set her down on the boardwalk. Rough old fingers gently brushed the trackers cheek in a soft blessing.

Vin waited patiently as Netty filled her list and visited with Mrs. Potter. Wordlessly he loaded the supplies into the wagon making certain they were secured.

"Thank you Vin. I'm making Chicken and Dumplings on Sunday I expect you for supper," she ordered. "Yes ma'am," Vin touched his hat brim. Lifting Netty gently he set her back into the wagon.

"Here I thought of you this morning. The first one of the season" Netty smiled and lay the peach into Vin's palm. Vin smiled shyly as the old woman clicked up the team and drove away.

JD walked up and watched as the wagon pulled away. "Miss Netty get her shopping done?" JD asked the distracted tracker. "Yup, give me a peach" Vin rasped showing JD the perfect fruit in his hand.

"Looks good enough to eat" JD chuckled and grabbed the peach taking off at a dead run. "JD ya bring tha' back," Vin demanded and took off right on his heels. Realizing the tracker was faster on his feet then he had thought JD swerved and dodged through the old church and out the back door.

The motivated bounty hunter was in hot pursuit and on the heels of the felon. Springing through the backdoor JD stumbled as he hit a support post. Regaining his balance he hotfooted it down the alley. Josiah gasped from atop the scaffolding he had assembled so that he could paint the wall. The rocking stopped and Josiah sighed in relief. Just before Vin to barreled into the structure.

Vin caught sight of JD rounding the corner and was after him like a flash. Josiah roared as his perch rocked once again and tilted. Nathan arrived just as the scaffolding started to topple. A hard push and grunt settled the scaffolding once more. "Thank you Brother Nathan" Josiah gasped releasing his white knuckled grip on the church eave. "It is time I showed those two the wrath of the lord" Josiah growled as he started down.

He inadvertently kicked the paint bucket that had slid close to the edge during the shake up. Horrified he watched a stream of paint splash over the edge. An indignant yelp from bellow signaled a direct hit.

"Forgive me Brother," Josiah called. Stepping off the scaffolding Josiah was confronted by the thoroughly splattered Nathan. Paint dripped in slow dribbles off the healer into the dirt. "It was an accident" Josiah took a step back from the fuming Jackson only to bump the scaffolding himself.

An ominous screech of strained nails had Josiah trying to steady the now shaky structure. Slowly the scaffolding folded in on itself leaving Josiah holding a pair of the supports. Nathan broke into helpless laughter. The huge man looked as if he had taken a bath in the white paint, the now empty bucket rested on the ground behind him.

Looking back and seeing Vin's determined face JD darted into the saloon. Quickly twisting and dodging his way through the crowd. JD never realized that he had knocked Inez off balance with her tray of drinks. Vin's quick grasp kept her from falling. Like a shot he was out the back after the peach thief. Neither of the peacekeepers saw the chain reaction they had set in motion.

Inez didn't fall unfortunately the tray of drinks wasn't so lucky. Tipping wildly the tray dumped a full pitcher of beer and several mugs onto Ezra Standish drenching him thoroughly. Startled the gambler sprang to his feet knocking his chair over as he rose. Somehow in his rapid ascent he managed to tip the table sending coins, cards and cash to the floor where they settled into the growing puddle of beer and whiskey.

Dodging back from Ezra's moving chair Inez stumbled backwards into the man in black. The surprised Larabee managed maintain his balance and drop his chair onto four legs without spilling a drop of whiskey. Chris blinked as if he expected the laughing Inez in his lap to be an illusion. His shock was only compounded as she snatched the glass from his hand and downed his drink.

Looking up from the giggling woman, A genuine smile lit his features as he studied the normally immaculate gambler. The red jacket was bleeding badly onto the white silk shirt turning it to an unusual shade of pink. "Good Heavens!" Ezra bellowed. Chris and Inez abandoned the chair as it groaned and lurched disturbingly and then collapsed as a leg broke free under the stress.

"Chicos" Inez giggled. "Need a lesson" Chris growled as he stalked out the door. "He was snickering" Inez mused as she watched the retreating back. "Run muchachos the big bad wolf is after you." She smiled.

JD pushed past Buck as he sped by rocking Buck hard. While stepping back out of the way of the tottering Buck. Blossom stepped backwards off of the sidewalk. Seeing the woman start to fall Buck gallantly attempted to save her. Propelling them both into the horse trough.

While trying to get out and keep Blossom's head above water Buck had managed to soundly dunk her. Buck finally got out of the trough and lifted Blossom out onto the street. Blossom was understandably furious with her dunking and took her rage out on the unfortunate man.

Ducking the swinging fist Buck slipped in the mud and went down. Blossom lost her fragile balance and landed in the mud beside him. Buck was spluttering apologies as he lifted the woman back to her feet. His feet slid out from under him once again, causing him to land in the mud with Blossom in his lap.

Reaching the street the duo's trail was clear. Chris flinched as he watched Blossom land a wicked right to Buck's jaw and stormed off covered in mud and dripping water. A strategically placed pair of muddy hand prints set off the swishing bustle of perfectly.

Buck stood working his jaw still trying to apologize. "Now Darling it was an accident" Buck spluttered to Blossom's back. "Mud Bath?" Chris asked as he paused to light a cigar. The muddy, wet and disgusted Buck glared back.

Chris calmly followed the trail of chaos to the livery. Townsfolk were suffering from fits of laughter and helpless giggles. Chris hesitated and blinked at the white washed pair that joined him in the street.

"Vin and JD?" Chris asked from around the cigar clamped tightly between his teeth. "Yea, verily" Josiah growled as he fell into step on the shootist's left. "Yep" Nathan agreed as he stalked along on Josiah's left. A muddy Wilmington fell in on Chris right growling soft curses as he squished along. A pink stained beer soaked Ezra took his place at Buck's right shoulder. "Mr.'s Dunne and Tanner I presume," Ezra noted his fellow lawmen's bedraggled states. "Yep" the others chorused. The vigilantes stalked their prey.

Gasps escaped the five men as they watched JD dive from the loft door and ride the hay hook down. "I'm gonna beat some sense into that fool kid" Chris growled diving for the moving youngster. "I'll hold him for ya" Nathan snarled his heart still pounding over the dangerous stunt.

JD dodged the grasping Larabee. Missing his mark Chris rolled in the dirt by the corral. Amazed the men watched JD hurdle the corral fence. "I would have sworn his legs were to short to do that" Buck exclaimed. "Brother Dunne has motivation" Josiah pointed to the loft doorway.

Vin was sliding down the rope in hot pursuit. Without a pause he planted a foot on the rising Larabee's butt and vaulted the fence. Tackling the laughing Sheriff he demanded, "I want it back JD". The trackers hands busily searched the giggling Dunne and took custody of the rustled fruit now slightly smashed. Vin sat calmly on the pinned Dunne and ate his peach with a look of bliss.

"JD, Vin" Chris growled softly. Vin rose and offered JD a sticky hand to help him up. Vin looked from the dust covered Larabee, to the paint covered Jackson and Sanchez. Open mouthed the two youngest took in the muddy Wilmington and the stained Standish.

"What happened to you fellas?" JD asked. "You did all that over a peach?" Chris voice lowered to an almost whisper. "Was mine" Vin stated stubbornly. "I was only teasing I'd have given it back" JD responded.

"You wrecked half of the community, destroyed private property and caused grievous bodily harm all because of a simple fruit?" Ezra became almost incoherent his southern drawl very much in evidence.

"Whatcha mean?" Vin and JD looked genuinely confused. Chris tried, judged and sentenced the two men with full backing of the others. "Restitution...You can start by hauling and heating water for five baths. Then you can paint the outside of the church. You will provide a full day's labor each to Ezra, Inez, Blossom, Nathan and Buck. You will fix my chair and buy me a bottle of whiskey." Chris ordered as he stalked off.

"Don't know what set them off?" JD fussed to Vin as the others walked off. "Wonder how Chris got that foot print on his butt like that." Vin shook his head.


End file.
